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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29390727">Be the Ball</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdelation8/pseuds/nerdelation8'>nerdelation8</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Attack on Inanimate Objects [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A brief reference to something violent in canon, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Chapter 137 Manga Spoilers, Comedy, Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, Fluff, Happy Ending, Humor, Inanimate Objects, Inanimate TF, No Romance, Other, POV Inanimate Object, Reincarnation, Spoilers, The OCs are shown but they're not the focus of the story, Transformation</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 08:22:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,563</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29390727</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdelation8/pseuds/nerdelation8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>END-OF-MANGA SPOILERS!<br/><br/>When we last saw Zeke, his dearest wish was to play catch once again with people who loved him.  When the Warchief wakes up in another world, he's reunited with Reiner and Bertholdt, who break the news to him that he’s turned into a baseball.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Reiner Braun &amp; Bertolt Hoover, Zeke Yeager &amp; Reiner Braun &amp; Bertolt Hoover</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Attack on Inanimate Objects [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2159013</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Be the Ball</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zeke Yeager’s consciousness returned suddenly.</p>
<p>The Warchief of Marley felt a ray of sunlight filtering down onto his face. </p>
<p>With it came bewilderment.   <em>I’m alive?!</em> </p>
<p>The last thing he remembered was volunteering his head for the Ackerman’s sword, all in order to stop the planetary apocalypse that was the Rumbling.  Without a connection to Zeke’s royal blood, Eren’s Titans could no longer destroy the world.</p>
<p>As darkness consumed him, and his eyes closed that day, Zeke never expected to open them again.</p>
<p>So how was he awake?  </p>
<p>“And where am I?” the Titan Shifter wondered.</p>
<p>As Zeke looked across the room at the dress and shorts folded atop a chest of drawers, saw the blue sky peeking out through the window blinds, and felt the comfy bed he was resting on, the answer to his question became somewhat obvious.  “I’m in someone’s bedroom, probably a girl’s, but…why can’t I move?”</p>
<p>For a moment, Zeke had a ludicrous mental image of his disembodied head lying on top of the sheets.  </p>
<p>
  <em>No, that can’t be what I look like.  I need lungs, a heart, and lots of other stuff to live.  So that’s impossible.</em>
</p>
<p>As he puzzled some more over his fate, Zeke gradually realized that something soft was touching him.</p>
<p>His gaze darted over to the large object on his right side.  Below familiar blond hair, printed on fabric, was the rugged face of someone Zeke knew well.</p>
<p><em>“Reiner?”</em> he blurted out, and a voice came from the pillow.</p>
<p>“Zeke?  It’s really you!  Oh, man!”</p>
<p>The image on the pillow didn’t move, even as Reiner spoke.</p>
<p>“Y-You’re alive,” Zeke marveled.</p>
<p>“Hi, Warchief,” said Bertholdt.</p>
<p>“Spear of Helos,” the astonished Shifter said.  “You’re alive too!  And you’re…”  </p>
<p>Zeke saw the dark-haired man lying horizontal, with the backboard behind him. He had the same smooth, soft form as Reiner.</p>
<p> “You’re both <em>pillows.</em>  You’re <em>body pillows, </em> inanimate objects!  How can you be talking?!”</p>
<p>“Who knows,” said Reiner.  “But it’s a little weird you can talk, too.”</p>
<p>“Wait, what?” Zeke said.</p>
<p>Bert stammered.  “Well, Warchief, don’t be scared, but you’re...you’re...”</p>
<p>“Ah!” Zeke concluded confidently.  “I must be one, too!  Whatever strange magic cursed you has also cursed me!  Now we’re all trapped in these fluffy forms!”</p>
<p>Bertholdt’s voice faltered.  “Uh…Warchief…that’s not what happened.”</p>
<p>“Bert and I are pillows,” Reiner acknowledged, “but…that’s not what <em>you</em> are.”</p>
<p>As strange as it was, Zeke had just gotten used to the idea of becoming a pillow.  It couldn’t be that bad if his two Warriors seemed so cheerful about it.  But they were right – Zeke wasn't the same type of object they were.  If Bertholdt, lying on his side, dwarfed him, then the Warchief had to be just a few inches tall.</p>
<p>“What exactly am I?”</p>
<p>“You’re a baseball,” Reiner replied. </p>
<p>There were a couple seconds of silence.  </p>
<p>“He’s not joking,” said Bertholdt.  </p>
<p>“I'm a…baseball?”  Zeke echoed.  </p>
<p>”Yes,” said Bert.</p>
<p>Reiner sympathized, “Honestly, living here isn't that bad.  There's no more battles, no more suffering.  After awhile, you won’t even miss your human body.”</p>
<p>There came a sound so unexpected, it startled Bert and Reiner.</p>
<p>“PAAH-hahaha!  Haha!  Aaahahahaha!” </p>
<p>That sound was Zeke cracking up.</p>
<p>“Oh, you perverse creature, is this <em>your</em> doing?  You thing that can't be named, Ymir’s ‘source of life,’ are you responsible?  Hahaha!  Are you the one bringing me back like this, in some bizarre sort of poetic justice?!”</p>
<p>Reiner and Bertholdt stared at the little baseball with the picture of Zeke Yeager’s face on it.  It was laughing maniacally.</p>
<p>“I'm confused,” admitted Bertholdt.</p>
<p>"Just let him monologue," said Reiner.</p>
<p>“Haha-Did I become this because my greatest memories came from playing ball?  With that logic, am I now supposed to assume that <em>Armin</em> turned into a <em>leaf?!!</em> Ahahahaha!”</p>
<p>Reiner turned to Bert and raised an eyebrow.</p>
<p>The dark-haired man shrugged.</p>
<p>But Zeke’s mood was contagious, and Reiner and Bertholdt soon found themselves guffawing and chortling (respectively) along with him.</p>
<p>Zeke proclaimed, “Warriors.  No…<em>friends.</em>  Back in that Paths dimension, I would have done anything just to play catch again.  Just to have that human connection with you, or Colt, or Mr. Ksaver.  I told Armin this when I met him.”</p>
<p>"You met Armin?"</p>
<p>"I did.  Eren's friend convinced me that life was worth living."</p>
<p>As a distant lawn was mowed, and birds tweeted outside, Reiner and Bert listened to Zeke’s words.  “And apparently that…<em>thing,</em> that creature, heard it too!”</p>
<p>He paused.  “Sorry, I'm going on about myself.  You must have had wishes, too.  Regrets.  What were they?”</p>
<p>“All I wanted was to settle down with a girl, and not have to fight anymore,” said Bertholdt.</p>
<p>Reiner nodded.  He confided, “I wanted to leave that cruel world.  I thought death would feel cozy and warm, but being here feels so much better than that."</p>
<p>“We got what we wanted, somehow,” his companion mused.</p>
<p> Feeling regretful, Zeke began to apologize to the two men for putting them through the Warrior Program.  For sending them on a mission that destroyed their chances of a normal life.  But then there were footsteps. </p>
<p>The Warchief froze.</p>
<p>“It’s just the girl who owns us,” Bert said.</p>
<p>His blond comrade added, “Oh, by the way, in this universe, our lives are fictional.  They’re a series of books.  She's a fan of ours, and…”</p>
<p>The girl, who looked about Pieck’s age, burst into the room.  There was a rush of cool air.  Zeke startled as the girl's hand reached towards the bed, her soft fingers wrapping easily around his spherical body. </p>
<p><em>Holy shit,</em> Zeke thought as he was faced with the undeniable truth. <em>I really am a baseball.</em></p>
<p>“Hello?” Zeke shouted up at her. “I’m alive, and-“</p>
<p>“She can’t hear you,” the Warriors said in unison.</p>
<p>A warm male voice came from the hallway.  It belonged to a man in his twenties.  “You got that ball, baby?  I’d love to see it.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” she replied cheerfully.  “It’s got two cute pictures of Zeke on it!”</p>
<p>She showed off the ball to the young man.  He turned it over in his palm to see the Beast Titan on one side and Zeke’s human form on the other.  </p>
<p>“Nice,” the guy said.  “Though,” he teased, “it’d be just a <em>little</em> cooler if it had Reiner on it.”</p>
<p>Back on the bed, Reiner laughed.  “HAH!”</p>
<p>“Just kidding,” continued the man in the hallway.  "Reiner’s my favorite character, but Zeke's great too.  He's smart, and his monkey Titan's badass.  It's too bad he got shafted even worse than Reiner.”</p>
<p>As the ball was tossed to the girl, Zeke felt a rush of excitement.  </p>
<p>“Yeah, when they showed his childhood it made me cry," the girl said.  "Suffer-boy Reiner,” she continued as her warm hands closed around the Warchief again.  “is like my third favorite.  After Zeke and Bertholdt.  Even though he's a terrible warrior.”</p>
<p>"That's true.  As much as I like him, his Armored Titan's more like the Plot-Armored Titan.  With how bad he fights, he should have died like five times already."</p>
<p>“Damn,” the dark-haired Shifter said, with the lighthearted tone he only used around his blond friend. “You’re getting roasted harder than Armin that one time.”</p>
<p>“That hurts, man,” Reiner replied in mock offense.  “Though I’m pretty sure I get spooned by the girl more than you do, even when <em>that guy’s</em> here.”</p>
<p>"That guy" being the girl's boyfriend.</p>
<p>“Every time Reiner's on screen, I just want to hug him and tell him to quit fighting," said the girl.  "Anyway, let’s play some catch,” she smiled, as she and her boyfriend strode down the hallway and out the door.</p>
<p>Zeke’s heart leapt.  </p>
<p><em>I’m gonna get thrown!  I’m gonna get thrown!  Yeah!</em> 

</p>
<p>Every molecule of his body electrified with anticipation, from his cover and stitches all the way down to his rubber-and-cork core.    </p>
<p>Then Zeke analyzed his own reaction.  He always loved playing catch, but he wasn't usually <em>this</em> excited about it. </p>
<p>
  <em> Well, I <b>am</b> a baseball now.</em></p>
<p>Of course.  A ball that was sentient would want to be thrown. </p>
<p>
  <em>Yes!</em>
</p>
<p>And Zeke’s bittersweet final wish – to play catch once again with people who cared about him – would now be granted, as the girl and her boyfriend stepped out into the warm spring day and began throwing the baseball to one another.  </p>
<p>As he soared through the air, hearing the happy sounds of the chattering couple, Zeke Yeager was in ecstasy.  He saw the boughs of the trees, verdant with life in a way he’d never appreciated before.  He heard birds singing, each one of them a master of its craft.  He saw kids playing and a neighbor pruning some flowering shrubs.  Far above him, Zeke even glimpsed an airplane.  </p>
<p>At one point, the Zeke-ball veered off course and fell into a bin filled with grass clippings. </p>
<p>“Don’t let him fall in the compost <em>too</em> often or he’ll turn green!” the girl giggled.</p>
<p>“Oh man, that’s embarrassing,” the guy said, blushing as his hand reached in and wiped off the baseball. </p>
<p>The Warchief didn’t even mind.  <em>Eh, what's a game of catch without a few foul balls?</em></p>
<p>He was soon flying again, tasting the sweet breeze and the smell of fresh-cut grass.</p>
<p>
  <em>This day…how wonderful it is.</em>
</p>
<p>Zeke was alive, through some strange miracle, and he couldn’t thank the universe enough for this second chance.</p>
<p>He’d enjoy it, however long it lasted.</p>
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